Accumulating evidence indicates that student attendance is closely tied to a range of educational outcomes, and yet millions of students are chronically absent each year. Under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), schools are now held accountable for their students' attendance at a scale this country has never before seen. As such, this is a…

The author defines school climate, summarizes the rationale for climate improvement from evidence on improved student behavior, and outlines the climate improvement process originally developed by the Colorado League of Schools for Climate Improvement and now the basis for an ASCD staff development kit. (Author/SJL)

A report is given of a study conducted on the nature and extent of support that local school systems in Maryland currently provide to new teachers. The study had two components: a statewide survey and case studies of promising programs. The survey polled Associate or Assistant Superintendents of Instruction in 23 of Maryland's 24 county school…

This beginning teacher program is a combination of a support and training program for first-year teachers in 12 school districts in Kansas. Participation is required and the program features regular meetings with the building principal, a year-long, performance-based skill training program, and a set of performance tasks which ask the beginning…

In nine chapters, this guide provides planners of professional development programs for school administrators, directors, and supervisors with background information for assistance with the design of local entry-year programs and activities by employing school systems. In chapter 1, the legal basis for entry year programs is examined through a…

In rural Minnesota many school districts are limited in their efforts to restructure by low enrollment, rural geographic location, meager tax base, narrow staff experience, extensive job responsibilities for staff, restricted staff development opportunities, and lack of direction in curriculum coordination. Because of actual or perceived…

This study provides a description of a program initiated in 1980 by the Maryland State Education Agency (SEA). The School Improvement through Instructional Process (SITIP) program presents data for a study involving educators in 19 of 24 local education agencies. The SITIP design includes nine areas of activity: (1) SEA preparation; (2) building…

This handbook for administrators of school district mathematics programs outlines a set of procedures for implementing the Pennsylvania Comprehensive Mathematics Plan (PCMP) and provides a degree of standardization and a planning framework to encourage the communication of related ideas and successes. The procedural steps, instruments, checklists,…

The purpose of this project was to implement the principles of Outcome-Based Education (OBE) in the "Fort McMurray (Alberta, Canada) Roman Catholic Separate School District (RCSSD) No. 32" and to collect data related to student achievement, responsibility, and attitudes in mathematics to help assess the effects of the implementation.…

The Ways to Improve Schools and Education Project (WISE) seeks to enhance school staff knowledge and skills through appropriate staff development adapted from local business and industry. Project WISE FY84 is an outgrowth of project accomplishments in FY83, which included a pilot test of collaborative school-business partnerships at three sites.…

Although effective schools research has indicated the need for an added emphasis on increasing student achievement within a satisfying learning climate, the issue of how best to implement this research has been perplexing for both researchers and practitioners. Different approaches are being tried in two rural Saskatchewan school divisions. In…